By Dan Lonky (@danlonky)
ONEONTA, NY – Game one of the NYCBL championship series was quite the slugfest, with the Oneonta Outlaws and the Hornell Dodgers combining for a total of fifteen runs on twenty-one hits. In the end, it was the Outlaws who would come away with the victory, winning 10-5 on Sunday night.
The barrage of hits was highlighted by several Outlaws having big days at the plate, as Brandon Stephens (University of Georgia) and Mitch Hollander (Cortland St) both had multi-hit, multi-RBI games, and Chris Pindar (Oneonta St) had a big bases-clearing triple.
The starting pitchers for both teams had rough outings on Sunday, as Outlaws starter Alec Romanowski (Stevenson U) was hit for three runs (one earned) on seven hits over only 2.2 innings. Dodgers starter Brett Buchanan (Webster U) may have lasted longer, as he tossed 5.2 innings, but the right-hander was hit also hit hard, allowing eight runs (six earned) on seven hits while also walking four batters.
Hornell wasted no time getting on the scoreboard. Chris Roeder (St. John Fisher Col) got things going doubling down the left field line. Anthony Renz (Mansfield U) then stepped up and took an excuse-me swing, hitting a slow roller that would end up hitting off the first-base bag and into no man’s land. Roeder made a heads-up play on the base paths, as he was able to come around and score the game’s first run. Hornell added another run in the second inning on a Michael Simmons (University of Montevallo) RBI single.
Down 2-0 in the second inning, the Outlaws promptly loaded the bases for the Oneonta native Pindar. The center fielder then came up huge, as he crushed a bases-clearing triple to right-center gap, giving Oneonta a 3-2 lead. Pindar later scored on a Ryan Tomita (Grand Canyon U) RBI groundout.
“I was just trying to do my job and get the runner in from third. I just tried to hit a deep fly ball and it happened to not get caught and I got a triple out of it ‘cause it’s a big ballpark.” Pindar said of his clutch at bat.
With two outs in the top of the third inning, the Dodgers were given a second chance as a Howard Joe (Mercer U) throwing error would prolong the frame and put a man in scoring position. Hornell took advantage of the opportunity as Sean McCracken (College of Southern Nevada) hit an RBI single to center field, cutting the deficit to just one run.
The Outlaws were able to pad their lead in the third and fourth innings, as they got sacrifice flies from Stephens and Tomita.
Hornell however didn’t let up and continued to fight come the fifth inning. After Roeder reached on a bloop hit to center field, Aaron Haag (Southeastern Louisiana U) drove him home with a hard-hit triple down the left field line. Renz brought home Haag with a sacrifice fly, once again making it a one-run ballgame.
“We haven’t been scared of anybody,” said Hornell coach Tom Kenney. “We swung the bat well. We jumped on top of them; we just didn’t hold. We’re a play or two here or there from holding it. That’s baseball sometimes.”
Oneonta caught a big break in the bottom of the sixth inning with men on second and third and two outs. Hollander stepped up and grounded one to the shortstop Roeder, who let the ball sneak right under his glove and into left field. Both runners scored on the error as Oneonta increased their lead to 8-5.
“Chris makes that play 99 times out of 100,” Kenney commented. “The ball stays down a little bit or something. He doesn’t get it. That’s baseball. We’re back at ’em again tomorrow.”
The Outlaws added some more insurance runs in the eight inning, as Stephens singled home a pair of runs off of Hornell reliever Stephen Stoklosa (Monroe CC).
On the mound for the Outlaws it was Michael Calkins (University of Tampa) who would end up getting the win. Also an Oneonta native, Calkins was able to pick up Romanowski and Jake Cryts (Binghamton U), who combined to allow the five Hornell runs. The southpaw was dominant in his relief outing, tossing the last 3.2 innings of the game, allowing only one hit while striking out three.
“I just told [Calkins] to throw strikes. Hitters will get themselves out sometimes, so if you throw strikes, mix some speeds and throw different pitches for strikes, it can be pretty effective,” Oneonta Head Coach Joe Hughes said of his advice to the left-hander on Sunday night.
After an exciting opening game of the NYCBL championship series, the Outlaws and Dodgers will be right back at it tomorrow, July 29th, as game two will be played at 7:00 PM at Maple City Park in Hornell.
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